The present invention relates to the fabrication of cabinets and architectural enclosures from solid surfacing material.
The term "solid surfacing material" is used by the architectural and habitation construction arts to describe non-foamed, non-laminated polymer-based materials useful for defining and constructing architectural surfaces and elements. These polymer-based solid surfacing materials are typically manufactured substantially of polyester or acrylic resins, alloys and mixtures thereof. Often, natural and/or mineral additives are combined to achieve a desired color or visual pattern in the composite along with fabrication workability and natural feel.
Use of solid surfacing materials began as kitchen and bath countertops due to a combination of mechanical and aesthetic properties including moisture imperviousness, durability, workability, ease of repair, ease of cleaning, ease of sterilization and beauty. Since introduction, use of solid surfacing material has spread to countless other applications such as shower enclosure walls and dressing areas.
Although a few cast or heat formed specialty shapes such as sinks, lavatories and soap dishes have been made available by primary manufacturers of solid surfacing materials in a few of the most popular colors and styles, for the most part the material is only produced in 30 inch by 12 feet sheets and in 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thickness. The widest selection of style and color is available in 1/2 inch thickness with 1/4 inch thickness being the next most available.
Plastic solid surfacing materials are available from several U. S. manufacturers such as E. I. dupont de Nemours & Co., Inc. of Wilmington, Del. 19898 U.S.A., who market their polymer based solid surfacing materials under the trademark of "Corian". "Corian" is a substantially rigid, non-foamed, non-laminated, non-coated solid material composed primarily of acrylic components. "Corian" is most often made and sold in sheet form. U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,865 issued Nov. 12, 1974 to R. B. Duggins and assigned to E. I. dupont de Nemours & Co., teaches one formula for making plastic solid surfacing material of the general nature of that referred to in this description.
Another manufacturer of polymer based solid surfacing material is the Nevamar Corporation located at 8339 Telegraph Rd., Odenton, Md. 21113 U.S.A. The Nevamar Corporation markets their solid surfacing material under the trademark of "Fountainhead". "Fountainhead" is a substantially rigid, non-foamed, non-laminated, non-coated solid material composed of a polymer alloy comprised mostly of polyester components having therein a smaller percentage of acrylic components. "Fountainhead" is most often made and sold in sheet form.
Another manufacturer of polymer based solid surfacing material is the Formica Corporation, located at 155-T Rte. 46, W., CN-980, Wayne, J.J. 07470 U.S.A. The Formica Corporation sells their solid surfacing material under the trademark name of "Surell" "Surell," like "Corian" and "Fountainhead," is a dense solid plastic most often made and sold in sheet form. "Surell" is a substantially rigid, non-foamed, non-laminated, non-coated solid material composed substantially of polyester components.
Du Pont, the Nevamar Corporation, and the Formica Corporation, and several other companies not specifically mentioned, who produce polymer based solid surfacing materials similar to one another, manufacture and sell polymer based solid surfacing materials in sheet form intended for use as walling or countertops, and sometimes make and sell cast or heat-formed shapes made of the same polymer based materials useful as kitchen and bathroom lavatories.
Some of the recognized advantages of using polymer based solid surfacing materials such as "Corian", "Fountainhead" or "Surell" over the available materials such as wood, metal, ceramic tile, and high pressure plastic laminates exists in the fact that the material is a solid, polymeric non-laminated structure in which the color or decorative color patterns extend completely therethrough. If polymer based solid surfacing material does become stained, burned or scratched so deeply that the damage cannot be removed with a common household abrasive cleanser, the damage can be easily removed by light sanding with steel wool or fine sandpaper, and this due to the fact that the material is solid, and the color or visual patterns extend completely therethrough. Furthermore, plastic solid surfacing materials typically have a high tensile strength, are quite hard, dense and rigid, and are resistant to chipping, cracking, splitting, warping, burning, and staining, all of which cannot be said about many other materials which could be used as substitutes therefor.
Another attractive quality associated with polymer based solid surfacing materials such as those sold under the tradenames of "Corian" "Surell" or "Fountainhead" is the ease of adhesive bonding with available colored glues. Additionally, the polymer based sheets can be easily cut to size or otherwise shaped with mechanical material removal methods and tools using sawing and shaping tools such as router bits, power saws and shapers and the like, similar to those used to cut and shape wood.
Polymer based solid surfacing materials such as "Corian" "Surell" or "Fountainhead" may be manufactured at a relatively low price to very closely resemble texture and visually simulate marble, granite, and other natural stone products which have long been desired and used as building materials due to recognition of the durability and beauty of such natural substances.
Due to the significant number of available colors and patterns of solid surfacing material in sheet form, there is a growing demand for larger and more complex architectural units having floor to ceiling walls and wall corners. Moreover, owners increasingly request that the corners be coved and rounded to facilitate sanitation and to appear as if carved and polished from a single monolith i.e. completely seamless.
Prior art methods for fabricating coved inside corners normally include the bonding of a filler strip along the corner and subsequently routing a radius into the filler strip. This method, however, produces a long, feather edge of the filler strip running into an adhesive layer in the plane of the adjacent wall. This process involves utilizing a specialized jig or tool guide for holding the router at a forty-five degree angle to cut the radius. There is little room for error with this procedure, since routing the cover too deep would cut into the wall, and too shallow a cove would require extensive sanding. The installer, therefore, must be highly skilled in this procedure. In addition, the procedure is time consuming, and is, therefore, relatively expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,262 to C. R. Peters describes a method of fabricating a coved, countertop backsplash from solid surfacing material wherein the cover fillet seams intersect the respective counter surface planes at substantially 90.degree.. Unfortunately, the Peters method is preferably a shop practiced method that is difficult to carry-out on the field job site of an in situ construction.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to teach a method of fabricating radiused inside corner walls with solid surfacing material that is suitable for field practice and assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide special shapes and mouldings formed from solid surfacing material sheet stock that facilitate seamless joints.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide jigs, clamps and a corresponding assembly method by which a large architectural enclosure such as a bath or shower stall may be fabricated entirely of solid surfacing material without seams or abrupt planar intersections.